The present invention relates to a game that combines education and entertainment in a complementary manner so that players of the game learn definitions, synonyms, or foreign language equivalents, while competing in a challenging way.
Although the number of words in the English language has increased over the past several centuries, the vocabulary of the common citizen remains limited. Often, the same words are used over and over again in both conversation and in writing. School teachers warn their students about this, but few actually develop "word power." To bolster this effort, various educational techniques are used, including reliance upon a thesaurus. But none of these approaches provide an entertainment quality that turns the teaching of words and their meanings into fun.
The prior attempts at providing a vocabulary game of entertainment and educational value have employed similar components, such as cards and a spin dial. Most notably is the 1981 patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,725, issued to Sawyer for a "Thesaurus Card Game." This game includes playing cards of substantially different construction and the relation between the random selection apparatus of this invention and the cards is clearly distinguishable from the present invention. Accordingly, this patent, as well as other various prior art word game apparatuses are not deemed, either singly or in combination, to teach the present invention as described in the claims appended thereto.
The thesaurus game of the invention utilizes a plurality of game cards, a device for the random selection of play, means for recording answers, and means to keep score.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided four groups of game cards. One group contains words beginning with the letters "A" through "F." A second group has words beginning with the letters "G" through "N." The third group has words beginning with the letters "O" through "Z." The fourth group of cards contains words considered more difficult than the words on the other cards, being designated as "Double Risk" and "Triple Risk" words. Each group of cards is color coordinated to corresponding indicia of the random selecting device of the invention.
On the front of each game card are various alphabetical or risk element designations along with a corresponding word and its part of speech. On the back of each card are acceptable definitions which correspond to the subject word.
In the preferred embodiment, a spinning pointer, situated in the middle of the rigid, generally flat board is used to randomly select a designation for play which corresponds to one of the four card groups. This destination includes the appropriate line of play on the card group selected along with color coding for quick reference.
The spinning pointer is pivotably mounted in the center of the board so that the indicator can be spun around the circular dial face of the device. The dial face is divided into twenty-four equal sections, each corresponding to the alphabetical and risk element designations contained on the face of the game cards having the same color designation. When spun, the head of the spinning pointer comes to rest in one of the twenty-four sections.
In the alternate embodiment, a dispensing device can be used as a random selection device. Twenty-four spherical elements are color coded and have indicia thereon of the same nature as that contained on the dial face of the preferred embodiment. A board having the other components of the game apparatus can be used with this embodiment, or, the other components can be separately constructed for use in playing the game.
If employed, the game board has four stations of play, one for each of the participants. Each play station consists of an erasable answer slate and a scoring table. The board also has two scoring disc holders which hold the discs to keep score on the scoring table.
These and other features of the game apparatus are more fully described herein.